A Laboratory Method to Measure Contagious Yawning in RatsAlejandro Moyaho 1, Alejandra P. Díaz-Loyo 1, Oscar E. Juárez-Mora 1, Evelyn Beristain-Castillo 2
1Laboratorio de Ecología de la Conducta, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universídad Autónoma de Puebla Pue. Mexico, 2Facultad de Medicina, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Pue. Mexico
The method described here aims to obtain yawn contagion curves in pairs of familiar or unfamiliar male rats. Cages with holes separated by either clear or opaque partitions with (or without) holes are used to detect whether visual, olfactory, or both types of sensory cues can stimulate yawn contagion.